Waves. A breeze. Hawaii? Demi blinked for a moment staring up at the bright sun before rolling over in the near white sand. "Ow, my butt," she groaned reaching around and pulling a shell out from under her. "Jesus, I know I wanted to go to Hawaii and not be on a plane for eight hours, but this is just ridiculous," Demi grunted sitting up. Looking at the think foliage up the shore and the crystal blue water out at sea, it sure as hell looked a lot like Hawaii. "Lindsey?"

Lindsey lay about 500 feet away, burnt face down in the hot tropical sand. She was motionless, face leaving tiny spots of blood in the sand drawn from cuts inflicted by the bursting controller. She twitched, one arm raising and bending at the elbow, palm flat against the sand, in an effort to get up.

"Oh God," Demi breathed bolting over to her friend. "NO! GOD WHY!? WHY DO THE GOOD ALWAYS DIE YOUNG!?" She wailed cradling Lindsey in her arms, attracting the attention of several people. "LET ME TRADE WITH HER! SHE WAS GOING SOMEWHERE!"

"Stop it, I'm fine..." Lindsey groaned, pushing her off and getting to her knees. She rose her head, face red and burnt and cut with pieces of black plastic stuck in her cheeks, "Ow... What the hell happened..." She didn't open her eyes, for fear that her eyes were hurt too and they'd spill out in bloody contents.

"Whoa, that looks pretty bad, ya? You two should come back to our village. We'll patch you up at the temple," a tan-ly skinned man came up with a few others to them. He was dressed in a light colored leather vest and baggy white pants with a beaded necklace around his neck. He knelt down beside them, looking at Lindsey's face, "Yeah, that looks pretty serious. But we'll get you guys up to the village in no time, ya?"

"SHE'S ALIVE!" Demi cried jumping back up hugging Linsdey tight from behind. "Oh shit your face! It looks like hamburger! Call the paramedics! Call 911! Oh. . . Hi," she waved finally noticing the man that stood there. "Um, I guess that's all we can do. I didn't think Hawaiians still used temples for things like that. . . Or dressed like that." She observed him. "Dude you look really familiar."

The man titled his head at the other girl, giving her a look, "Ha..waii..an...? Doesn't sound familiar. Let's just get you two to the temple, ya?" He helped Lindsey up, who grunted softly and grabbed onto him, "I don't know who you are, but thanks... Please be my eyes if you don't mind..." The man smiled a little, "Ey, is no problem, ya?"

"German then?" Demi mused. With all the 'ya's she'd say he was a German born again Hawaiian. . . Maybe. Shrugging though, she followed Lindsey and 'ya' to the temple. Looking around at her surroundings, Demi started to lose her enthusiasm. It was like in her dream, except no haze. Unconsciously rubbing her burnt arm, she looked around and saw the temple. Biting her lip to keep from yelling out something else that would label her crazy, she took in all the people and the huts. This was getting a bit too weird for her.

"My name's Iyassu. You two don't look like you're from this island," he said as he lead Lindsey and Demi back to the village. Upon entering the gates, he smiled, waving to others as they came up to him, examining the two strange girls, "Welcome to our village, the isle of Besaid." Lindsey choked, having a feeling this whole thing was a dream to begin with, that she was unconscious at their house, or at the hospital or just sleeping in bed, "Isle of what now?"

"I think it's an island in Spira. . . Like Hawaii only more culturally centered. Which island Johnny Tsunami?" Demi asked, taking everything in stride easily as the people observed them with curiosity. "Hi!" She turned and waved to everone, spooking them at her sudden out burst. "Geezums people are jumpy," she giggled.

"The hell are you talking about?" Lindsey asked, trying to crack an eye open, "I can hardly see..."

"Yes, this is Spira," Iyassu said, helping Lindsey up the stairs to the temple, "So where you two from? Luca? Strange clothes you're wearing there, ya?"

"Don't worry my special needs friend, I will be there along the way to help with your recovery!" Demi said proudly. "As for King Kamehameha over here. I have not a clue, maybe, depends, will it get us killed?"

Lindsey sighed a shaky, frustrated breath, "Whatever... this is just a dream... I'll wake up in my own bed with a red mark on my face because I hit my head before going to sleep..."

"Being from Luca? Depends if you run into Sin or not, I guess, ya know?" Iyassu took them into the temple, unable to stop and perform the prayer to the local priest, who came over to examine. He bent over slightly in his white and red-orange robes, "Oh dear. What an injury."

A hymn rang through the temple, flowing through the statues of figures in robes an armor. It was a tune that Lindsey couldn't dismiss. "You're serious..." she whispered, cracking open a dark brown eye. She looked up at the statues of Lord Zaon and Lady Yunalesca, clad in gold and motioning towards one another, frozen in their memory, never to touch in the wake of the people. "We aren't..."

"This is no dream," Iyassu said as he carefully lead her to one of the rooms on either side of the staircase at the back of the main foyer, "Do you not remember where you came from?"

"You must be affected by Sin's toxin... Praise be to Yevon you're still alive," said the priest.

"When you say Sin's toxin, you're not talking about my laundry basket are you?" Demi said sniffing her shirt to make sure. "Cause last time I checked, the only toxic thing in our house was my cat's litter box and that's only because she has worms," she referred to her cat Piggy.

The priest and Iyassu sat Lindsey down before starting to extract the pieces of plastic from her face. She flinched and whined, grunting as the bigger pieces were tugged free from her flesh. She growled softly, grabbing the biggest, bloodied chip and tossed it at Demi, "Do you not realize how serious this is!? We're not exactly in Kansas anymore, Toto!"

Iyassu took a step back in surprise at the brunette's sudden outburst before scratching the back of his neck, "...What's a 'kansas'?"

"Oh God! Rabies!" Demi cried flailing at the chip. "Ya think?" She huffed. "I'm dealing the only way I can, DENIAL OF THE OBVIOUS! OH GOD WE WERE SUCKED INTO A GAME!" Demi cried. "See what you did!? Now I'm gonna go crazy just like you," she glared at a frowning.

Iyassu and the priest stared at each other before looking back at the girls, "What are you two talking about?"

Lindsey's eyes shot open as her mind raced, "Uhh...We were heading somewhere from Luca... and our ship was attacked by Sin.. so we.. ended up here?" She looked up at Demi, silently begging her to play along, "I think... Right? ..Demi?"

"Oh my poor poor Dexter, lost at see. Oh God why Noodles!? Why!? He had so much love to give! We were going to marry!" Demi burst into tears, going easily along with Lindsey, although it be over the top. "Josh. . . Oh you poor soul. Never to feel the warmth of your wife Lindsey's bed again."

Both the priest and Iyassu were taken with the story, "Goodness... such tragedy has struck Spira today! Praise be to Yevon you two survived!" They both performed the prayer, as well as spectators watching through the door. Lindsey's jaw twitched and she put a hand to her forehead, voice ridden with disbelief rather than mourning grief, "Oh yes.. my poor... poor... husband..." She sent a passive glare at Demi. "But yes... the toxin must have hit us both... hard..." she did give a sigh.

"Poor dears," an old priestess came with bandages, "Be still. I know some white magic... but it's grown as old as I over the years... It may not heal all of it." She put her old fingers against Lindsey's face as she started to concentrate, her hands glowing a light blue as the cuts and burns on the brunette's face started to mend. "Whoa..." Lindsey tried to jerk back but was caught, "..this feels weird... but strangely in a good way... ..Demi has a burn on her arm too, right, Demi?"

"I think I got bit by a whale," Demi made a face. "Are there even whales?" She said curiously, more to herself than anyone. "I have to pee where's the John?" All of a sudden the potty dance started as on lookers gave her soft smiles.

"Must be the toxin," one whispered to another.

"I've heard it can do strange thing to one's head," in the corner said.

The priestess wrapped Lindsey's head with bandages over parts where gashes couldn't be all the way healed by her magics, "If you must relieve yourself, you must go out into the forest and do it there. We haven't the resources for such things." Lindsey shot Demi a ha-ha smirk.

"Au natural I see," Demi sighed. "Guess those years of camping are coming in handy. Off to the grass to pee, off to the grass to pee, I don't have any toilet paper," she sang to the tune of 'La Cucaracha.'

"Wait," Iyassu ran after her, "Let me go with you. There are fiends out on the road, you might be attacked."

"I'm just going behind the temple in the bushes. What you guys have giant man eating snakes?" Demi blanched. "I really need to play that game again," she muttered as she let Iyassa follow her.

"I cannot allow you to do that," Iyassu grabbed her arm, "The Temple is sacred. I can't have you defiling it like that. It's just a short walk outside the village. It's not far, ya?" He pulled her towards the gates of the village.

"But I really have to go!" Demi whined dancing along beside him. "Seriously dude! I'm about to make a freaking flood in my pants!"

"Then we run, ya!?" Iyassu hauled up Demi, holding her up as he sprinted out of the village to a shroud of trees and bushes, "Go, go go!"

"Oh God!" Demi shrieked as she was nearly thrown into the bushes. Stumbling to a hault, she hid behind a tree to do her business. With a sigh, she came back out. "All better," she smiled before a long scream, that was totally not human, made her freeze. "GIANT SNAKE OF DOOM!" She screamed running back to Iyassu. "I thought you were kidding!" She yelled.

Iyassu looked up at the cry, seeing a round bird with a long, narrow peak with an arrow-shape at its tip. He laughed a little, "Ah, relax! Easy prey, ya? Just stay with me!" He ran towards the bird-fiend and howled a war-cry, slashing it with his sword. It gave a cry and fell to the ground, before its body disappeared amidst a cloud of dispersing pyreflies. "See? We are fine. Now, let's head back to the village, ya?"

"I'm gonna get eaten by something, I just know it," Demi sighed as she followed the older man back to the village, jumping at all the rustlings in the bushes.

Lindsey was just coming out of the temple with the priestess right behind her as they were coming back. She turned to the priestess as she stopped and performed the prayer before the priestess did the same and returned to the temple with a quiet, "May Yevon be with you." Lindsey turned and waved to Iyassu and Demi, "So how did your little bathroom break go?"

"I almost got eaten by a giant bird," Demi said with a frown. "Surfer boy said it was easy kill. IT'S NOT EASY IF YOU JUST WENT PEE AND YOU DON'T HAVE A WEAPON!" She shouted at his retreating form.

Iyassu scratched his head, "It wasn't that big. And it was easy. I took it out in one hit."

Lindsey laughed a little, "Well at least you went. They're letting us borrow a hut for the meantime... Come on..." She grabbed Demi's arm and said in a hushed voice, "We need to talk... in private."

"Gee ya think Mrs. Groban?" Demi rolled her eyes as she followed Lindesy. "Ew, I got pee on my foot," she whined as they got to the hut.

"Stop calling me that," Lindsey said as she pulled Demi into the hut and closed it up. It was rather small, enough room for maybe a person and a half. It was a little cramped but she was sure that they'd be fine with it until they figured out what to do.

She sat down on one of the sleeping pads and looked up at Demi, "...So... we were sucked into a video game in a freak-accident... I don't care how it happened... all I know is that we gotta find out a way to get back... withOUT raising suspicion from these people..."

"Ask the witch doctor to open up a portal for us?" Demi suggest, grabbing the rafter in the small hut and attempting pull ups to test it's strength.

Lindsey glared at her, "I'm being serious. Do you really want to be stuck here in this bathroom-less fairy land?"

"Are there really fairies? I know I only got through like a quater through the game, and cheated by going online to figure out what the hell was going on and all, but-HEY! LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!" Demi cried hanging upside down to do sit ups. "Do you know how awesome this is!? I've never done a pull up in my life let alone this!"

Lindsey sighed and stopped talking. She rest her elbows on her knees and looked away, blocking everything out she could to think. There had to be a way out of Spira without having to do a run-through of the story-line...

"Lindsey. . . I think that there's something wrong," Demi said getting down. "I mean. . . I can do pull ups and sit ups. . . I HAVE NO POOCH ON MY STOMACH!" She cried lifting up her shirt. "What if we're suppose to be here? Like you know Tidus was summoned as an aeon for Yuna. What if we're someone's aeons?" Demi said actually calming down and sitting down. "We just might get to kick some serious ass my friend."

"We aren't aeons... if we were aeons we'd already be kicking some serious ass. And look like serious ass. We're still human," Lindsey held out her arms. She sighed and stared down at the wooden floor, "...We might actually have to do a run-through of this game... but how I don't know... Besides, we're not from Tidus' world... we're from the real world."

"Lindsey, I'm gonna tell you what I told everyone else at work when we found out the store was closing down for good, LOOK AT MY LEG! DO YOU YOU SEE WHAT IT SAYS!?" She shoved her tattooed calf into Lindsey's face. "Can you read it or is it too close?"

"...'Oh no, somebody went in my cereal. Somebody help, I just can't take it. What would Dexter and Noodles do.'?" Lindsey stared at her with half-lidded eyes and arched eyebrows.

"What? No," Demi said said looking at her leg. "Shit wrong leg," she flipped flopped legs. "No see here, on my surfboard. 'You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.' See it? Here, right here." he pointed to the black lettering. "Are we suck in a foreign land in a different time zone with crazy ass birds that try to eat us? Yes. So here's what I propose. We grab our surfboards and head for the water, metaphorically speaking of course. We can only do so much Linds. Just go with the flow and stop with the show. We'll be home in time, even if I can't rhyme. . . Hey that did rhyme!"

Lindsey stared at her, "...I can't believe you just said that." She looked back down at her feet, "...You're right. Obviously we're not Tidus or Yuna... or whoever... and it doesn't look like they're here. Maybe we have to do our own run-through as ourselves... and if that's the case... we'll need some help... and a summoner." Lindsey rose a hand, pressing a digit against her chin, "...but before that... we'll have to train to survive... This place is violent beyond measure. We'll have to work hard if we want to survive... much less defeat Sin."

"Holy shit you're agreeing with me. God this place does things to you," Demi said making a face. "Maybe the locals have like stuff for us to train in and stuff. We could always ask the big head hancho, the whatchamakollums. . . . Those things that did the mojo to your face." She huffed. "I really need to replay that game when we get home. At least do the read through on wiki."

"We'll be able to get weapons... but we might have to fashion our own armor..." Lindsey looked down at her tee shirt and pajama shorts, "...I doubt these will protect us from total harm..." Not that armor would protect them one hundred percent. But it would at least help in their physical defense.

"Are you kidding me? Naked we'd be more likely to survive out there," Demi snorted. "So where do you want to start oh knowledable one?" She smiled.

"Here, obviously," Lindsey said quietly, "...but first... let's just live with the village if only for today... We'll get some food from sympathizers and figure out what exactly we'll do... and start out tomorrow."

"Kind of like gypsies? Only they're pretty frowned on in Romania. No one really likes them because they steal a lot, and I can totally do that if necessary," Demi smied.

"We'll, we're not in Romania... plus, these people really believe that we've been affected by Sin's toxin. I'm pretty sure they'll help us if we just ask. No need to steal from people who helped us," Lindsey said, sitting back.

"Ok, but just say the word and I can be sneakier than a pedo at Children's Fest at Silver Dollar City," Demi smiled. "Too much?"

Lindsey's brow twitched at that, "...yeah. A tad." She looked towards the secured entrance of the hut, "...you know what time it might be? By the sun's position? I don't think these people have a sun dial here..."

"Well, that gives us time to gather some stuff, I guess. One of the huts in the middle of the village has some weaving boards. Maybe we can get some actual clothes before we start making our armor. I feel naked in just shorts and a teeshirt," Lindsey said quietly, feeling self-conscious.

"I wish I had a bikini, I may never look like this again," Demi sighed poking herself in her stomache. "But yes, I suppose clothes are good too. . . Sometimes."

"Well, we gotta look like we belong so we don't rouse any suspicion," Lindsey said as she got up. "You can get a bikini if you want. Add more to it though so its not like you're gonna constantly run around naked..." She said, jokingly. But knowing Demi she'd probably do just that. "Come on, let's see what we can get with no gil to our names," she said as she undid the locks on the hut and went outside in the sun.

"You know what I've just noticed though Lindsey, my hair. . . It defies gravity, see," Demi said shaking her head and even holding her short hair down. It just sprang right back up into abnormally pretty spikes. "I believe Tidus had the same problem."

"I guess it's just the gaming atmosphere. Anything goes with a little rendering I suppose," she said as she led Demi to the hut with the weaving tables. "Uh--hi? Can.. we have some clothes?" Lindsey piped.

"Dude, I think I'm in love," Demi drooled staring at an outfit. "Hey, um, weaver person, can I have this and then like pay you back with. . . stuff?" She asked. "We kind of lost everything when our boat was sank by Sin. I can," she choked back a fake sob. "Even still see my fiance's face." She turned away, making her shoulders shake as she hid a grin.

Lindsey jabbed Demi in the arm quickly before anyone saw and continued, "Uhh--yeah, we were sleeping and before you know it, Sin is attacking and our luggage just went everywhere when the boat was destroyed... We'll pay any fee with whatever work you need." The weavers turned to look at them, "Your boat was destroyed by Sin? Praise be to Yevon you're alive. We'll give you clothes for free. We'll have them ready in about... three hours?"

"Oh thank you," Demi smiled, tears in her eyes. "Bless you all and Merry Christmas. Wait. . . How does it go again?" Frowning, Demi turned to Lindsey.

Lindsey grabbed Demi's hand and pulled her out, "Yes-yes, Praise be to Yevon..." She hissed in a hushed voice, "...Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight... Don't say that stuff here, we don't want them to think we're aliens."

"Wait isn't Yevon crazy and like weird?" Demi asked hushing her voice, a smart move for once. "I'm gonna get us sacrificed or killed if I say otherwise, huh?" Sighing, she nodded. "I'll behave till we can get our stuff together and move on."

"Good... Yevon is like... the Roman Catholic church in Galileo times..." Lindsey whispered, "...I'll go see if I can get some food from the Temple... Why don't you look around and see if you can find anything useful? If I recall correctly... there are treasure chests lying around here that have some stuff in them that are useful..."

"Aye aye, mon capitan," Demi saluted her and struck off, picking up a big stick. "For you know, in case the big ass birds show up again," she smiled before heading to do her duties.

"There aren't any fiends in the village... ohh... nevermind," Lindsey said quietly, smiling a little before heading off to the temple.